The Initiative
by AzurePerception
Summary: What if the war that everyone thought they were fighting was a conspiracy; a mere cover up by the Ministry to hide an issue that ran deep in to the bloodlines of the magical world?  What if Draco and Harry are caught up in the middle of it?
1. Chapter 1

The Initiative

Chapter 1 – Down into the Vaults

She awoke to this distant sound of a ticking clock; the dim lighting of her father's study casting the room in shadows. Stretching her arms out in front of her she sat up and eyed the mess of papers that lay before her and had previously been a pillow for her head. Casting her eyes warily into the shadows, she pulled the documents protectively towards her and proceeded to place them inside a worn leather satchel. A tarnished silver crest snapped shut and the metallic wings of the displayed creature unfolded and spread themselves across the leather until the joined again in back. She whispered a protection charm and walked to the attentive-looking owl that sat by the window.

"You know where to go," she whispered, stroking the tawny feather of its head. She shrunk the satchel and placed it in a metal case that was firmly strapped to the bird's back. It gave an affirmative click before taking off into the night.

Hermione continued to watch the bird until it vanished, wringing her hands through the thick braid that hung over her shoulder. Looking over at the clock she saw that it was 3 in the morning. With a deep yawn she wrapped her father's oversized sweater tighter around her body and left the study, silently praying that the satchel found its way safely to its destination.

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Later that day found Draco sitting with his back against the window, the cool glass soothing his fevered body. He had been suffering this overheated feeling for the past couple of days. His muscles were cramped and tight and his skin felt clammy. He hated having the flu. He'd had it a few times before, but never like this. It was usually accompanied with an upset stomach and cold chills, but the flu was the flu and it still irritated him as much as it ever had.

It was two weeks until the start of term. This would be his final year at Hogwarts and he was ready to be thrust back into the energetic atmosphere of school. As soon as his flu bug was out of his system, his mother had promised to take him to Diagon Alley to shop for the upcoming year.

He looked over at his half-drank cup of tea and stretched his legs out along the thoroughly cushioned window seat. Rain continued to fall outside and he let the gentle tapping sound of the drops against the glass lull him into a deep slumber.

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They had been sitting in the little tram for a little over an hour and a half and his legs were beginning to feel numb with disuse. Eying the goblin that was transporting them he put a hand around his wife's wrist, running a finger along the underside in a soothing gesture. He knew she was prone to motion sickness.

"I hate that they insist on meeting down here. I am sure we could find an agreeable alternative," Narcissa whispered, sighing deeply and brushing a hand through her hair. "Poor Draco is home alone, sick, and I hate having to go so far underground. What if he wakes up? What if he needs me?"

"He won't wake up. Severus made the sleeping draught himself and Dobby slipped it into his afternoon tea. He'll be out all night, I can assure you. You mustn't worry my dear. She flipped her hand over and clasped his soothing fingers.

"It's almost his time to join the Initiative. His role is so important and I can only hope his will is strong," she sighed.

"He's our son Cissa," Lucious whispered with determination. "I know he will do what he must." Narcissa gave her husband a small smile and laid her head on his shoulder. They endured the rest of the uncomfortable ride in silence.

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Severus waved a tired hand towards the corner of the dank vault and a roaring fire appeared in the empty space. With another wave he conjured a long wooden table and 12 sturdy looking chairs. With a deep sigh he dropped a large file onto the table and dropped into one of the chairs. Not long after he heard the sound of the vaults locks begin to click and wind as they allowed entrance to whomever unlocked them.

"Severus," a deep voice came from the shadow of the vaults entrance. He recognized it immediately.

"Remus," he acknowledged, beckoning for the other man to join him at the table.

"Is this just a discretion council?" Remus asked taking a seat next to the dark haired professor.

"…Among other things. The vault goblins have asked to sit in on the council meeting. It seems that Berrick had become suspicious of some of the council. They are eager for reform and are unwilling to listen to plans for more talking. They want to fight." Severus groaned and rubbed a hand down the length of his face. "As much as we are all on the same side, everyone seems to have their own team. I feel, sometimes, like we are working towards the impossible." Remus nodded.

"Fenrir was a lot like that when we first began. That kind of thinking is what got him killed. Diplomacy is not generously gifted. We can only hope that we can persuade Berrick tonight. He will be our first battle of many. I am sure that he will see the rational of our plans."

The vault door opened again and a man and a woman with large thatch colored wings entered.

"Ulric, Hadley, glad to see you both could make it," Remus greeted. The couple nodded solemnly and made their way to the table.

"We are here as ambassadors tonight Remus. Sebatious is growing weary. Four more Alferra have been captured and our numbers are dwindling," the woman said. Her partner placed a medium sized case on the table.

"These are the lists," he began. "All of our kind are documented, along with those with the blood in them and potential births. Unfortunately the ministry also has a copy of these documents. We are not sure how they got them, but we know that they have them." Severus moved the case to the center of the table and placed his and Remus' files along with it.

"I've sent my documents to Regus at the Innitiative Main House," Hermione stated as she entered the vault. "Dobby had just gotten back to me and I finished it up earlier this morning." Hermione took great pride in her representation of those who could not represent themselves. She joined the group at the table and they fell into steady conversation as the rest of the council arrived.

A short time had passed and the vault was sufficiently full. Berrick sat off to the side with the goblin that had transported Narcissa and Lucious. Xenophilius Lovegood stood from the table and addressed the council, all of his normal antics gone in light of the serious atmosphere.

"Tonight is solely about numbers. We need to go over every file and be 100 percent sure that our numbers are right. We need to continue contact and set up meetings with all remaining allies so we may get things on their way. Tonight, my friends, it begins."

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I have so many great ideas about this story. I got an idea from a fic I was reading a few weeks ago and it turned into this full blown plot. I hope you like it. Stay tuned. This is a Harry and Draco fic, but it's got a pretty intense plot as well. It's not going to be solely based on their romance but it will definitely be a big part of the story. Please Read and PLEASE Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Sorry about the delay, working and going to school can really kick your ass.

The Initiative

Chapter 2 – Revelations

I

Draco woke the next morning to a rather vicious headache. He groaned and kicked his feet to shuck the covers from his frame. The sun had located the hole in his curtains that he had made at the age of six when he had stolen his father's wand. The stream happened to be in the most obnoxious and inconvenient place, right at his eyes. With a grunt he tossed his body off the bed and stumbled to a standing position. His body bowed under the gale forces of gravity and what seemed to be a hangover.

"Dobbyyyy," he whined, holding his hands against his face. There was a faint pop and the elf walked quickly over to the moaning boy.

Dobby thinks that the young master should stop being so dramatic," the elf sighed tapping Draco's leg and motioning for one of his hands. Draco complied and Dobby pushed a vial into one of his hands.

"Don't be mean, I'm sick," the boy whimpered before swallowing the potion. Dobby grabbed the empty bottle and tapped his foot.

"What?" Draco snapped, his headache clearing.

"Madame wants Draco to take a shower and get ready to go to Diagon Alley," the house elf said before dissaparating. Draco's mood instantly brightened and he hurried into the bathroom for his shower.

II

"Oi! Get yer' ass down 'ere! Breakfasts ready!" Ron shouted up the stairs. Harry gave up on trying to get his hair to cooperate and tossed the brush onto the sink. He gazed at his reflection. His once lanky frame was now a taught well-muscled form and his awkward height of 6'3 now suited him. Unfortunately his hair and his eyesight had not improved with time. With a shake of his head he traipsed down the stairs two at a time.

" 'bout time mate, mum's had this down for a bit. You almost didn't get any," he said before shoveling another spoonful of eggs into his mouth. Ginny passed him a plate with a small smile and continued eating. He eyed the spread and grabbed a bit of everything before dropping down into a chair.

"Morning Harry Dear," Mrs. Weasley said, entering the room holding a hot kettle. "Would you like a cup of tea?" he nodded, his mouth already full with toast, and picked his cup up for her to fill.

"We're going to Diagon Alley today to get all of your things. We'll be leaving in about an hour so tuck in."

"Hermione owled me this morning and said she's meet us a Flourish in Blotts around noon," Ron said, his mouth surprisingly empty. Apparently his mother's slaps to the back of his head for speaking with his mouth full had finally worked.

"Good, she's been so busy this summer, I haven't seen her once." Every time he had owled her she had been off to a meeting of finishing some papers. He wasn't sure what she was up to but it appeared to be important. He had missed her rationale in the months that he had spent with Ron and his brothers. He also needed a female's opinion on Ginny's behavior. Her mood seemed to constantly change. Half the time she was clingy the other half aloof. He never knew if he should greet her when she came into a room or leave.

They all finished their breakfast and lined up in front of the fireplace. Mrs. Weasley grabbed the pot of Floo powder and stuck her hand in.

III

Draco and Narcissa stepped into a small Apothecary towards the end of the strip to purchase his advanced potions ingredients that weren't common among the more popular stores on the alley. He headed straight for the shelves of herbs and began inspecting the vials and jars.

"Draco, darling, we need to talk," Narcissa said after watching her son browse for a while.

"About what?" he turned to look at her. She laced her arms through his and they began to walk further down the aisle.

"Have you noticed that your father and I have been absent for most of the summer?" He watched her eyes scan around the store as if looking for someone.

"Yes, I figured you had business with the ministry… about … past discrepancies." She knew he was referring to their family's stint with the Dark Lord and she nodded curtly. His popularity had fallen over the past few months due to a sudden surge of morality. At least that's what Draco assumed.

"Not as such… your father and I are members of a very powerful organization; one that will become known to the public very soon." Draco stopped their strides and stared at her.

"Are you back in with the Dark Lord?" he hissed, glancing around the store. He did not want his family name soiled again by bad affiliations. She stared at him with a small frown.

"No, most certainly not. Draco, your father and I representatives in a council called the Initiative. It is an order of magical creatures and the like that have decided to fight against the tyranny that debases them. We fight for the rights of those who have none. Your father and I represent the Elvin sector." Draco stared at her for a while trying to judge whether or not she was having him on.

"Why are you telling me this?" he finally asked. The news shocked him. It also inspired him. He had often thought of the injustice of Dobby's position and that of a few other creatures that he had come into contact with, but he had never thought to do anything about it. He had grown accustomed to their station and was unfamiliar with the extent of it.

"Because you are to become a part of the order. On your 18th birthday you will face the reality of your station and you must lead us to fight those that exploit it." Draco froze.

"What do you mean my station?" She brushed a hand through his hair. Your father and I are both carries of the gene but neither of us turned. You on the other hand will come into your inheritance on your 18th birthday, which is in 3 months."

"What inheritance?" Your father is the son of Kiril, leader of a very old elitist order of Elves that rules over the world's elf population. His mother was a human and therefore he did develop like his father. I on the other hand was born to the Alferra and my mother was human as well. Both your father and I passed our genes onto you, naturally and the byproduct of that is a combination the two; one that has never been seen before. Crossbreeding, as they call it, is not accepted in our world. The mix always results in death from incompatibility. The fetal body does not know how to cope with the genes and it attacks itself. You are the first in centuries to survive." Her eyes become glossy at the mention of him not surviving and he rubbed his thumb across her hand.

"I don't know what to say." He looked at her face hoping to find some answers on how he was supposed to feel about his news. All his life he had thought himself to be just another wizard: A normal boy that would graduate from Hogwarts and perhaps become a medi-wizard. He had just gotten through the Dark Lord's reign by the skin of his teeth. He was ready for a bit of normalcy and now he had another life changing scenario dropped into his lap.

"I know this is a lot of information…" she began. He dropped her arm and stepped back.

"I need some time. I will meet you at the manor later. I just… I need some time to think about all of this." She seemed as though she was about to argue, but decided against it. With a nod she turned and left the shop. Sucking in a deep breath he leaned against one of the shelves and imagined his normal little life crumbling right before his eyes.

IV

Hermione walked as quickly as she could towards Flourish and Blotts. The meeting had run into the early morning and she had slept late. She was supposed to meet the boys in three minutes and her heart raced erratically as she jogged down the cobblestones. To her relief the store's entrance came into view and she raced inside, spotting the two instantly. Their tall frames and Ron's shock of red hair made them stand out from the crowd of soon-to-be students. She walked up behind them.

"Hello boys." The two turned around quickly and stared at her.

"Mione! You're so skinny! This isn't one of those girly eating disorder things is it? You're beautiful just the way you are and all that…" Ron stared at her baggy jumper. Laughing she drew them both into a hug,

"No, no, nothing of the sort. I've just been busy preparing for school. You know me." They both hugged squeezed her back until her feet came off the ground.

"Harry you've gotten so tall! You look fantastic. Mrs. Weasley has obviously been feeding you." He smiled down at her.

"You could say that. Ron and I have been playing Quiditch and just enjoying the summer. It's nice not to have to worry about saving the world." Hermione gave a false laugh and nodded.

"Yea it's definitely nice for you. I'm glad you've gotten to spend some time recuperating." Harry eyed her for a moment before smiling.

"So 'Mione are you gonna come shopping with us?" Ron asked. As she was about to answer she saw a distraught looking Narcissa walking outside the shop.

"I need to run and grab a girl thing, but I'll meet you guys at Florean's in about an hour." They both blushed before waving her off. As soon as she was out of the shop she caught up with Narcissa.

"Narcissa! What's wrong?" Hermione asked, startling the woman.

"Oh, Hermione dear, I didn't even see you. I was kind of lost in my thoughts." The woman looked frazzled and distraught. Hermione put a hand on her arm and stopped her.

"What happened," she asked.

"I finally told him that any chance he has at a normal life has been ruined." And then she started to cry.


End file.
